Attachment bracket means for attaching bed spring means to a headboard and a footboard to form a bed



March 14, 1961 R VAIL 2,974,327

ATTACHMENT BRACKET ME FOR ATTACHING BED SPRING MEANS TO A HEADBOARD ANDA FOOTBOARD TO FORM A BED March 50, 1959 Filed INVEN TOR.

ROBERT R. VAIL United States Patent ATTACHMENT BRACKET MEANS FOR ATTACH-ING BED SPRING MEANS TO A HEADBOARD AND A FOOTBOARD TO FORM A BED FiledMar. 30, 1959, Set. N o. 802,946

2 Claims. (Cl. 5-288) The present invention consists of attachmentbracket means for attaching bed spring means to ahead board and afootboard to form a bed, the complete combination consisting ofheadboard, footboard, bed spring means, and four attachment bracketscomprising an assembled bed in accordance with the present invention,and, as a subcombination, one of the attachment brackets, per se,adapted for the uses set forth above.

It is customary for a baby to be provided with a crib having a highheadboard, a high footboard, and two high side retaining walls which areusually slatted, and with one of said side walls in certain instancesbeing of the controllably vertically adjustable and lockable type,although not all cribs are so constructed. The reason why theconventional baby crib has such high surrounding walls is, of course, toprotect the baby from accidentally rolling out of bed at night or ofgetting out of bed of his own volition when awake. However, after a babyhasused such a crib for a number of years, the high sides are actuallyno longer necessary and may even interfere with the convenient making ofthe bed by removing, eleaning, and repositioning mattress,pad, sheets,blankets, and the like, and, furthermore, may make it more difficult touse the crib easily and conveniently. In other words, after thenecessity of positively retaining the very young baby in the crib bymeans of the high sidewalls, has passed, the necessity for the high sidewalls is also no longer present, and the baby bed would be substantiallyimproved if the crib sidewalls could be removed. However, inconventional baby cribs, this is not possible because the sides of theconventional baby crib act to keep the headboard and footboard in anupright position and the bed spring means and mattress just hook ontothem. Therefore, if the sides of a conventional baby crib were removed,the remaining structure would not stand up and would be unusable.

In view of the above, the present invention was developed for thepurpose of solving this problem and making it possible to remove thesides from a conventional crib and to fasten opposite end corners of theframe of a conventional baby bed spring means to the headboard and alsoto the footboard at four rectangularly spaced locations, as seen in planview, whereby to effectively form a complete baby bed having no sidesand thus being much more convenient for a small child to use and alsomore convenient for his mother in changing the bed linen, etc.

It should be noted that the crib headboard and footboard may be reusedalong with the crib bed spring means through the use of four of theattachment bracket means of the present invention. However, othersuitable headboards and footboards may be used, if desired, with theconventional crib bed spring means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a complete baby bedor childs bed formed by fastening four attachment bracket means to fourside corner portions of bed spring means and fastening two of saidattachment bracket means to a headboard and two of said attachment meansto a footboard whereby to comprise a structurally strong complete childsbed structure having. y

no sides.

It is a further object to provide apparatus of the character set forthin the preceding object, wherein the headboard, the footboard, and thebed spring means may all comprise portions of a pre-existingconventional baby crib which has had its sides removed and which has hadthe four attachment bracket means added to the combination structure toproduce a complete. structurally strong childs bed having no sides.

It is a further object to provide a new and novel attachment bracket ofthe type embodied in the two preceding objects, adapted for engaging aportion of a bed spring means adjacent a corner thereof and alsoprovided with controllably operable fastening means adapted to engage avertically directed end member, such as a headboard or footboard of abed.

It is a further object to provide an attachment bracket of the characterset forth in the preceding object, and also a complete combinationstructurally strong baby bed having no sides of thecharacter referred toin several of the preceding objects, which are of extremely simple,cheap, foolproof construction such as to be conducive to widespread usethereof.

Further objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after acareful study hereof.

For the purpose of clarifying the nature of the present invention, twoexemplary embodiments are illustrated in the hereinbelow-describedfigures of the accompanying single sheet of drawings, and are describedin detail hereinafter.

Fig. 1 is a reduced-size perspective view of one exemplary embodiment ofthe complete combination form of the invention, wherein four attachmentbrackets in accordance with the present invention are attached to fourside corner portions of the frame of bed spring. means to effectivelymount same with respect to an opposed headboard and footboard whereby toproduce a structurally strong complete baby bed having no side walls.

Fig. 2 is a larger-scale fragmentary view of one illustrative bracketmeans of the present invention in engaged relationship with afragmentary portion of one side corner of the frame of the bed in Fig.l. I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary View, Partly in elevation and partlyin vertical section, taken in the direction of the arrows 33 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary View, partly in elevation and partlyin vertical section, taken in the direction of the arrows 44 of Pig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevational View of a slightly modified formof the horizontal flange-engaging portion of the fastening clamp meansfor locking the attachment bracket to a portion of the frame of the bedspring means.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but shows the modified form of thehorizontal flange-engaging portion in Vertical section.

The complete combination form of the present invention may be said tocomprise a structurally strong baby bed having no sidewalls, and beingformed of conventional bed spring means having engaged therewithadjacent each of the four corners thereof, attachment bracket means, twoof which, at each end of the bed spring means,

spring means shown in turn being fastened to a headboard or footboard,and

vice versa, at the other end of the bed spring means.

In the specific embodiment illustrated in Figs. l'-4, theabove-mentioned bed spring means takes one specific 2,974,3211 PatentedMar. 14, 1 9 61 substantially horizontal inwardly directed second flangemeans 13, and being provided with and interconnected by a plurality ofreticulated intersecting interconnected resilient members 14, whicheffectively act as springs adapted to resiliently support a mattress,such as that tndicated generally at 15 and which is shown in rolled-backposition in order to clarify the disclosure.

In the specific example illustrated, two of the abovementionedvertically directed end members are included and comprise a headboard 16and a footboard'17, each of which is effectively connected to the sideend portions of the frame 11 of the bed spring means 10 in the mannerclearly shown underneath the rolled-back portion of the mattress 1S andat the most remote end corners of the bed spring means 10 shown in Fig.1, by suitable attachment bracket means, such as are indicated generallyat 18.

In the specific example illustrated, each of the four attachment bracketmeans 18 (three of which are shown in Fig. l and the other one of whichis similarly but oppositely connected to the footboard 17 and the farside and end corner of the frame 10) takes a specific form wherein itcomprises a longitudinal upwardly open U- shapcd verticalflange-receiving member 19 of U-shaped cross-sectional configurationadapted to receive downwardly therein the corresponding portion of thevertical downwardly directed first flange means 12 of the frame 11 ofthe bed spring means 10 adjacent a corner thereof, whereby toeffectively longitudinally support the vertical flange 12 of the frame11 along a portion of the length thereof. Also, in the specific exampleillustrated, each of the vertical flange-receiving members 19 isprovided at the bottom thereof with upwardly and inwardly directedcontrollably adjustable and lockable fastening clamp means, such asindicated generally at 20, having an inwardly and upwardly displacedhorizontal flange-engaging portion, such as indicated at 21, adapted totightly engage the top of the substantially horizontal inwardly directedsecond flange means 13 of the frame 11 of the bed spring means 10 fortightly drawing together said vertical flange-receiving member 19 andthe frame 11 of the bed spring means It). This is accomplished by meansof the threaded fastener or bolt member 22 having a head 23 positionedin an apertured portion 24 formed out of or struck out of the bottom ofthe vertical flange-receiving member 19, with said threaded bolt orfastener 22 having its other and extending upwardly and inwardly throughan aperture in the horizontal flange-engaging portion 21 and beinglongitudinally adjustably fastened with respect thereto by interiorlythreaded nut means 25, whereby the entire clamp means indicatedgenerally at 20 may be tightened so as to tightly clamp the U-shapedvertical flange-receiving member 19 to the frame 13 adjacent the cornersthereof in the manner clearly shown in Figs. 2-4.

In the specific example illustrated, one end of the verticalflange-receiving member 19 is provided with a transversely directedfastening plate, such as is indicated at 26, and fastening meanscomprising the apertures 27 and the fastening screws 28 carried therebyfor effectively controllably fastening the entire attachment bracket 18to a portion indicated at 29 in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, of the headboard 16and also the footboard 17 whereby to form a firm rigid structurecomprising the headboard 16, the footboard 17, the bed spring means 10,and the four attachment brackets 18.

Figs. and 6 illustrate a slight modification of the horizontalflange-engaging portion 21 and the fastening nut 25, best seen in Fig.3, and in this modification similar parts are indicated by similarreference numerals, primed, however. The modified form of horizontalflange-engaging portion 21' shown in Figs. 5 and 6 has interiorlythreaded fastening means 25' equivalent to the threaded fastening nut 25shown in Fig. 3, but actually formed in and comprising a part of themember 21 in this modification.

It should be noted that the present invention is directed 5. to acomplete combination of the type illustrated in Fig. 1, and also to anindividual attachment bracket, per se, of the type illustrated in Figs.2-4 or as modified in accordance with Figs. 5 and 6, plus anyequivalents thereof within the scope of the teachings and disclosure ofthe present invention.

It should be understood that the figures and the specific descriptionthereof set forth in this application are for the purpose ofillustrating the present invention and are not to be construed aslimiting the present invention to the precise and detailed specificstructure shown in the figures and specifically described hereinbefore.Rather, the real invention is intended to include substantiallyequivalent constructions embodying the basic teachings and inventiveconcept of the present invention.

I claim:

1. Attachment bracket means for attaching to a vertically directedheadboard and a vertically directed footboard opposite side corners ofbed spring means, comprising: bed spring means consisting of asubstantially rectangular frame of substantially L-shapedcross-sectional configuration having substantially vertical downwardlydirected first flange means and substantially horizontal inwardlydirected second flange means, and being provided with and interconnectedby a plurality of reticulated intersecting interconnected resilientmattress supporting members; a vertically directed headboard; avertically directed footboard; four longitudinal upwardly open verticalflange-receiving members of U-shaped cross-sectional configuration, eachremovably receiving downwardly therein a different side corner portionof said substantially vertical downwardly directed flange means of saidframe of said bed spring means, whereby to effectively longitudinallysupport said frame along the length thereof at four corner locations,each of said flange-receiving members being provided at the bottomthereof with upwardly and inwardly directed controllably adjustable andlockable fastening clamp means having an inwardly and upwardly displacedhorizontal flange-engaging portion adapted to tightly engage the top ofa corresponding corner portion of said substantially horizontal inwardlydirected second flange means of said bed spring means for tightlydrawing together said vertical flange-receiving member and the bedspring frame at each of the four corner portions thereof, each of saidcontrollably adjustable and lockable fastening clamp means including anapertured downwardly and inwardly projecting portion formed out of thebottom of the flange-receiving member, and further including upwardlyand inwardly directed threaded fastener means adjustably connected tosaid horizontal flange-engaging portion, similar ends of two of saidvertical flange-receiving members, each being provided with atransversely directed fastening plate and fastening means carriedthereby eflectively fastening same to said vertically directed headboardat opposite sides thereof, and similar ends of the remaining two of saidvertical flange-receiving members each being provided with atransversely directed fastening plate and fastening means carriedthereby effectively fastening same to said vertically directed footboardat opposite sides thereof, thereby effectively mounting said lged springmeans between said headboard and said footoard.

2. An attachment bracket for attaching to a vertically, directed endmember a side corner portion of a bed spring means of the typeconsisting of a substantially rectan: gular frame of substantiallyL-shaped cross-sectional configuration having substantially verticaldownwardly directed first flange means and substantially horizontalinwardly directed second flange means interconnected by a plurality ofmattress supporting members, comprising: a longitudinal upwardly openvertical flange-receiving member of U-shaped cross-sectionalconfiguration adapted to receive downwardly therein a portion of asubstantially vertical downwardlydirected first flangemeans of a frameof a bed spring means adjacent a side corner portion thereof, whereby toeffectively longitudinally support the vertical flange means of theframe along a portion of the length thereof, said flange-receivingmember being provided at the bottom thereof with upwardly and inwardlydirected controllably adjustable and lockable fastening clamp meanshaving an inwardly and upwardly displaced horizontal flange-engagingportion adapted to tightly engage the top of a substantially horizontalinwardly directed second flange means of the bed spring means fortightly drawing together said vertical flange-receiving member and thebed spring frame comprised of a first vertically downwardly directedflange means and a second horizontal inwardly directed flange means,said controllably adjustable and lockable fasten- 16 ing clamp meansincluding an apertured downwardly and inwardly projecting portioncarried by the bottom of the vertical flange-receiving member, andfurther including upwardly and inwardly directed threaded fastener meansadjustably connected to said horizontal flange-engaging portion, one endof said vertical flange-receiving member being provided with atransversely directed fastening plate and fastening means carriedthereby for effectively controllably fastening same to a verticallydirected end member for effectively mounting the bed spring means withrespect thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,238,054 Tattu \Aug. 21, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,693 Great Britain May13, 1920

